Anyone know anything about publishing?

FiancB

I had this project where as a group we came up with a children's storybook that encourages kids to eat healthy. It turned out really well. I did the illustrations and the story was really cute. I think I posted a few of the drawings. We got a lot of compliments and people saying we should totally publish, but that gets really complicated with a group of 8 people, some doing more of the work than others. 

We presented it and turned it in on Monday and yesterday my teacher approached me and said she wants to help me get it published. She had a good idea- making it so that all proceeds go to a charity, namely the food pantry at school. She also brought up how it would be a great resume builder. 

So anyway she wants to talk to a lawyer about it. She doesn't know a lot about the process either, but is enthusiastic. I know a lot of people self-publish through amazon or whatever that is but I don't know how legitimate that all is. I'm not looking to make money off of it but don't want to waste everyone's time either. 

KatieinBkln

Former book-publishing agency employee, here.

If you are looking to self-publish, Amazon is often a good route. I am not totally sure about the logistics of a picture book, though. You will have to look into that.

Self-published books on Amazon don't make the author(s) a ton of money, I'll warn you. But, happily, since you want to do it yourself, you don't have to worry about wasting anyone's time but your own! Amazon is pretty openly hostile to agents/lawyers negotiating on behalf of authors, which for all intents and purposes means you don't really get to negotiate at all--you just put your book out there, and there it is.

This is all for an ebook version. When it comes to making a book with actual paper pages, I am much less knowledgeable when it comes to self-pubbing.

In the event you wanted to go the traditional route, you would do well to submit both to agents AND to the publishing houses that take unsolicited/un-agented submissions. In my experience, picture books are ever so slightly easier to publish without an agent (kind of like climbing Everest is easier with an extra Sherpa on staff, so...grain of salt). You'll always get a better deal with an agent though. Book publishing contracts are insane, archaic, and often don't follow typical legalese, so when lawyers look at them they tend to either roll their eyes or throw their hands up. Agents know how to decipher them and how to get you the best terms.

If your prof wants to talk to a lawyer, that is certainly ok. But if you do end up going the traditional route, I'd personally rather have a dedicated book agent than a general lawyer on my team.

chibiyui

Hmmm......

http://webcomicalliance.com/business/battle-of-the-self-publishing-services/

I don't have a ton of advice, cause shit, I don't even have a finished chapter or webspace yet. You could go the kickstarter, go fund me, indie go go route, but generally speaking, these sorts of things work best if you have an established audience when it comes to books/comics. 

Surely your school would have someone that does fundraising type things that would also be a good resource?

FiancB

Thanks! I think the lawyer thing is more to make sure nobody's expecting a cut. An etext is the easiest route and is what she expected, but I"m not so sure that would be very popular for a children's book. Maybe I can make a coloring book version as well? It does look like Amazon does do print publishing through createspace, too, so now I'm looking at that. 

KatieinBkln

FiancB said:

Thanks! I think the lawyer thing is more to make sure nobody's expecting a cut. An etext is the easiest route and is what she expected, but I"m not so sure that would be very popular for a children's book. Maybe I can make a coloring book version as well? It does look like Amazon does do print publishing through createspace, too, so now I'm looking at that. 

I mean, if they all co-wrote it with you, I would expect that they WOULD want a cut. A lawyer (or agent) could put together a good collaboration agreement that makes sure everyone is treated fairly, though.

IrishPirate60

I've published via CreateSpace, two versions, ebook and real paper. A friend of mine did the technical stuff and I paid her for that. Once everything was uploaded, the deal is I can buy copies for $2.75 plus shipping and then sell them for $15. Your numbers will vary.

Here's what's good for you: you have a built-in audience and a local cause. That's a great place to start, and if you follow up with other books, you'll have a published one to show and sales numbers to report.